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Originally Posted by Madbomber Mike
. Remember, these sites attract a lot of attention from the EPA, OSHA and the States Fire Marshalls (Grain Elevators blow up all on their own all the time due to static induced grain dust explosions)… might be a little more scrutiny than TMP would like.
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If the War starts in 1989 construction of the base should be completed well before that point, especially if Bruce has an idea when the balloon will go up. Let's say everything has to be finished by 1985. In 1985 let's look at various Federal agencies and see who would really be looking at things the Project doesn't want revealed.
OSHA-Established in 1970 by Nixon. It would have the right to inspect any work site. However, Nevada is an OSHA State Plan State, which means the Federal OSHA has limited jurisdiction and worker safety laws are enforced at the State Level. The State program was certified in 1981. OSHA, in general, is far less intrusive than most people think. They have a very weak fine structure. If you wish to get a clear idea of the strength and aggressiveness of Nevada OSHA take a look at this report
https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/final-nevada-report.pdf. Of particular interest is "Nevada OSHA agreed to conduct 2900 inspections as part of its budgeting process, which translates to 95 to 115 inspections per year per investigator, far too many per investigator to do a thorough job. The Nevada legislature utilizes this information to determine if the program is meeting its goals. (See IV-2, VII-5) "
There are 45,000 or so small businesses in Nevada, so let's say a total of 55,000 in the state. That means, on average, a single company can expect a visit once every 18 years. Now that doesn't take into account the number of workplaces, which are what is inspected. The 2900 will also include things like Fatality inspections, repeat inspections, inspections triggered by irate employees and such. Randoms will be only a part of the total.
EPA has very limited jurisdiction over a grain elevator. They do have some level of jurisdiction over mining. They didn't really get any teeth until CERCLA comes out in 1980 and really it takes several years for the programs to get rolling
"The EPA published the first Hazard Ranking System (HRS) in 1981, and the first National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983.[4] Implementation during early years, the two terms of the Reagan administration was ineffective, as only 16 of the 799 Superfund sites were cleaned up, and only $40 million of $700 million in recoverable funds from responsible parties were collected. Reagan's policies were described as laissez-faire.[5]:5"
Abandoned mines tend to attract a lot of EPA attention. They have tailing piles rich in heavy metals. Often they have large ponds or lakes filled with contaminated water. If the mine happened to be a uranium mine then not only will EPA be all over it, but also DOE. DOE has had a number of expansive programs in place since the late 1970s and up to the current day to locate and clean up these facilities. Also, as has been pointed out so many times mines have an irresistible attraction to the curious.
State Fire Marshals-Until the Westwego Grain Elevator Explosion of 1977 these risks were not really on anyone's radar "In 1977, a grain elevator in Westwego exploded due to a spark igniting grain dust. The explosion killed 36 people. The explosion prompted new safety developments in grain elevators.[citation needed]" After 1977 all grain elevators were probably inspected, those in urban settings getting a tighter look over. I'm fairly comfortable such a fire inspection would not catch the Morrow Project parts of the elevator.
And the one that everyone forgets MSHA. These guys are one of the most intrusive and aggressive of all federal agencies. Since 1977 each underground mine is REQUIRED to be inspected 4 times each year. That means any Morrow Project related mining operations are absolutely going to get 4 inspections from MSHA every year after 1977. If the mine is no longer in use by 1977 EPA will have jurisdiction if the mine has left any waste behind (which it almost certainly will have). See EPA above
FDA may inspect grain elevators, but probably not often and they won't be looking for secret doors and such.
From this, we can see that mining will be the most inspected type of operation. If the mine is operational posy 1977 it will get four inspections every year. MSHA inspectors have a well-deserved reputation of thoroughness. They will often look through the entire mine. If the mine is closed after 1980 it may end up on the Superfund NPL. Even if it isn't being actively cleaned up it might still get subjected to an in-depth environmental assessment, which can include drilling for soil samples.
Of these agencies (and I have worked with OSHA, EPA, DOE, MSHA, FDA and several others) I respected MSHA the most. Their inspectors were generally the best educated in their fields and were really on the ball. Fed OSHA folks were good in their small areas, but not as well rounded, and State OSHA inspectors have been noted as having inspected facilities and passed them just prior to serious disasters.
If avoiding inspections is a goal mines drop to the bottom of the list.